If you haven’t heard the news, Google is shutting down websites created through Google Business Profiles as part of a larger strategy to streamline its services. While this decision aligns with Google’s business goals, it affects small businesses that relied on the platform since.
This significant move has left many businesses, especially small and medium-sized enterprises, in a challenging position. The need to find robust, effective alternatives to maintain and grow their online presence is now more urgent than ever.
If you happen to be one of the people in need of an alternative, then this article is just for you! We’ll guide you through this transition process by offering you options and key factors to consider in the selection process.
Factors to consider when choosing an alternative
There are plenty of website platforms to choose from, but you’ll want something with the right tools and features to stay competitive. If you used Google Business Profiles from the start, you might not know what to look for.
High performance
After moving on from Google Business Profiles, ensuring that your new platform delivers high performance is crucial. Think of it as the engine that powers your website. A high-performance platform means:
- faster load times
- robust server response
- ability to handle high traffic
On the internet, speed and reliability are key to keeping visitors engaged and reducing bounce rates. A high-performance site enhances user experience, boosts SEO rankings, and builds trust among your audience.
Google ensured that your site’s performance was top-notch, that’s why you need to find something equal, if not better than your current operations.
Ease of use
The ideal platform should be user-friendly, allowing you to manage and update your website with minimal technical know-how. It’s all about making things easy so you can focus on your business, not spend hours figuring out how to update your website.
Google made things simple, so you didn’t need to be a tech whiz to make a cool website. Now, you need a platform that’s just as straightforward.
SEO capabilities
Now that Google Business Sites is shutting down, picking a platform with good SEO tools is crucial. Search engine optimization (SEO) ranks your website and helps you appear on search engines. The right platform will have tools to help your site show up when people search for stuff you offer. The better your SEO, the higher your site shows up on the search engine results page (SERPS).
This means more people will visit your site naturally, without you having to pay for ads. Basically, choose a platform that helps you get spotted on Google easily!
Scalability
Your chosen platform should be able to accommodate your business’s growth. Scalability means your website can expand its capabilities as your business grows. This involves more than just adding new pages. You need to ensure your platform can handle:
- increasing traffic
- more complex eCommerce functions
- larger content databases
- integrating advanced features without compromising performance
Look for providers that offer robust hosting solutions, efficient resource management, and the ability to upgrade server capacity or add functionalities like forums, customer portals, or multilingual support. Scalable platforms adapt to your business, ensuring that as your business evolves, your website is always a step ahead, ready to support and drive your growth.
Security
As you transition from Google Business Sites, choosing a platform with strong security is a must. A secure platform protects your website from unwanted intruders and keeps your (and your customers’) data safe. Just like you wouldn’t leave your shop unlocked, you shouldn’t compromise on your website’s security.
Look for platforms that include a secure socket layer (SSL) in their packages. If they offer other security tools such as malware protection and website backups, then so much better.
While you were with Google, it made sure your site’s security was impeccable. Now, you need to find something similar or better in terms of security measures.
Customer support
With Google Business Sites going away, having good customer support in your new website platform is a trusty safety net. Good customer support means you’ve got someone to help you out, answer your questions, and fix issues so everything runs smoothly.
Since you’re still new to the platform, you can do well to have an extra pair of hands to assist you. But even if you’re settled, sometimes things can get tricky, and you might run into tech problems or just have questions in the future.
Top alternative platforms to Google Business.Site
People use Google Business.Site mainly because it’s easy to use, cost-effective, and integrated with Google’s ecosystem. Now, you’ll want to find a web platform that provides equal, if not better features than Google Business.Site provided.
To help you, we’ve compiled a list of the top alternative platforms for your website.
Top Choice: Web.com
Web.com is a standout choice for small businesses looking for a smooth switch from their current platform without compromising on features. It’s packed with a comprehensive suite of website tools that cover everything, including:
- domain registration
- web hosting
- customizable design options
- web security features
Additionally, Web.com offers robust marketing solutions to boost your online visibility, such as SEO services, pay-per-click (PPC) ads, business listings, and directory services, making it a great all-rounder for businesses aiming to establish a strong online presence.
Whether you’re starting fresh or migrating from another site, Web.com streamlines the process while offering a wealth of features to grow your digital footprint. Web.com also offers an AI-powered website builder tool, making it quick and easy to migrate your current website content.
Secondary Choice: WordPress
For those seeking extensive customization and control over their website, WordPress is a top contender. It offers thousands of themes and plugins, allowing for a high degree of personalization and functionality.
It’s great for bloggers, small businesses, and anyone who wants a site that can grow and change with them. But while it’s super flexible, it can be a bit tricky to learn at first, especially with all the plugins you can add. Once you get the hang of it, it’s fantastic for SEO and managing lots of content.
Just keep in mind that if you add too many plugins, your site might slow down. And though it has a free version, it has some limits on how much you can change the design.
Other options to consider (but beware of limitations)
Wix: Wix is a good option for some users, but not others. It’s not so great if you want to dig deeper into customizing your site. Some people find it’s not the best for certain SEO strategies focused on ranking higher on Google, and pages can load slowly, especially if they’re packed with pictures or videos.
After you pick an initial design, changing it can be a hassle because you can’t just switch templates easily. Wix might also not have all the fancy features bigger online stores need. Finally, if you’re using the free version, you’ll have Wix ads on your site, which might not look very professional.
BigCommerce: BigCommerce is an option for growing online stores. However, it might be tough for beginners due to its complex setup. Its selection of free themes is limited, so you may need to spend extra for a distinctive look. Meanwhile, customizing your site fully often requires coding knowledge, which not everyone has.
The costs can also increase as your store grows, especially if you surpass sales limits. Finally, BigCommerce offers fewer third-party apps and integrations compared to some rivals, which might restrict some of your store’s functionalities.
Squarespace: Squarespace is popular for creatives and artists because of its sleek, modern templates. Though it’s stylish, it doesn’t let you tweak things as much as other sites like WordPress or Web.com. Getting the hang of using Squarespace can take a bit of time. You need to remember to save your work often because it doesn’t do it automatically.
Plus, its shop features are a bit basic compared to other options. Its SEO features are decent, but it lacks the advanced tools to compete in the search ranking. Lastly, it lacks apps and add-ons you can plug into your site, which might limit your functions.
Weebly: Known for its of simplicity, Weebly is an option for those new to website creation. It’s good for simple, no-fuss websites, but if you’re planning something more complex, you might hit some limits with Weebly. It’s got a smaller range of design options compared to some bigger platforms, so your site might not stand out as much. Also, its SEO tools are okay, but not as in-depth as what you might find on more specialized platforms.
Shopify: Shopify was made for online stores. It’s designed specifically for eCommerce, but not any other business. Shopify can get expensive, especially with added transaction fees and the cost of apps to extend your store’s features. If you’re not mainly selling products, Shopify might feel too specialized, and it’s not the easiest for building non-eCommerce websites.
And while it’s got a lot of great tools, it can be a bit much for a total beginner to handle. Not to mention, customizing your site’s look beyond basic templates requires some knowledge of their unique coding language, Liquid, which might be a steep learning curve if you’re not tech-savvy.
Transfer your site to a stronger web platform
Google Business.Site’s discontinuation opened opportunities to explore other platforms that might better align with your business’s evolving needs. Each of the alternatives listed offers unique strengths. Take note of your business needs and find the one that will best complement your current website.
To start your journey with a new digital partner, consider exploring these options. You can visit Web.com and learn how to transfer your website to our platform. We ensure a seamless transition without the hassle.
